Through The Glass
by Rozewater
Summary: As the youngest Pokemon Master in a century, Ash finds himself drowning in the tide of a world he was never ready for. Who knew one trip to Cerulean could change everything?
1. Don't Know How

**THROUGH THE GLASS**

**Stormy Says:** Alright, I admit it. I'm an old timer. Pokémon was the show of my childhood, and I was shipping characters before I even knew what shipping was. That being said… I'm a bit behind on the times. I know next to nothing about characters from May and Max's generation, and even less when it comes to people like Dawn. (Wait…who's Paul again?) I only really know the original trio, and they will be forever near and dear to my heart. Soooo… Of course, it's no surprise to say that my plots revolve around them. Kanto is bomb and Caterpie kicks ass.

Disclaimer time: If I owned Pokémon, Misty would have never left and Pikachu would be given subtitles by now.

* * *

**Chapter One: Don't Know How**

Nothing on the menu looked interesting. Absolutely nothing. If he had to ask how to pronounce the name of one more over-priced brand of wine again, he would throw the said bottle out the window. This was pointless. And, to top it off, a fierce headache was pounding its way through his temple…

"Ash? You alright? You look a little sick…"

The sound of his date's voice brought him back to earth. His eyes blinked behind his dark-tinted sunglasses, trying to focus again. But…everything! Blinking, breathing, it didn't really matter at this point. Why did everything just take so much…effort? And his damn head…throbbing…

"I'm fine, Amanda." The lie tumbled its way past his lips as unconvincing as always. Even if the flashy watch on his wrist and the shine on his glossy black shoes said otherwise, he would always be the bumbling little boy from Pallet Town. …At least at heart.

At least…he liked to think so.

Amanda forced a smile back at her companion, tucking a strand of mahogany hair behind her ear. It curled delicately against her neck, bouncing as she turned back to the waiter. "I'll take just a glass of Chardonnay. Actually…scratch that." Her dark eyes, thick with mascara , flicked up to the man sitting across from her. A very disgruntled Ash had just – loudly – thrown down his menu. "…I think we'll just take two mineral waters. One each." She reached forward and picked up the thrown menu along with her own. She returned it to the waiter with a sigh. "Thank you." The man tucked the menus under his arm with a flourish. He hurried off into the crowded restaurant, quickly out of sight.

As soon as they were alone, the woman spoke up again. "What's wrong with you? Really?" This time, her voice wasn't as comforting as before. The snap was unmistakable.

Ash had propped up his elbow on the table, holding his head up in the palm of his hand. He was drained. And, behind his glasses, a vicious scowl was brewing. "I'm…just tired. _Okay?_ How come you never believe me?" Neither one of them chose to comment on Ash's lack of acting skills. "I'm _sick_ and _tired_ of going out so often. Why can't we just stay at _home_ for one damn evening? Why do we always have to go out and 'show our face'? What? Will they _forget_ who we are if we don't?" The bitter sarcasm seemed to leak into the air, and some of the patrons from nearby tables gave them nosy looks.

"It's more than that," Amanda briskly replied. But he cut her off.

"It's _always_ 'more than that'. But how come you can never tell me _why_?" He roughly shoved his glasses further up the bridge of his nose with his thumb. The rims creaked slightly under the pressure, but he was too fired up to notice. Besides. Amanda had brought them for him. And at the moment, he had half a mind to throw them across the room.

His date rapped her French tipped nails against the table. Her makeup gave her eyes an eerie, cat-like quality. It was like she was sizing up her prey. Funny to think that those same eyes, just a few hours ago, had been the source of his head spinning and thoughts turning slightly less than pure. "What would you rather be doing right now, Ash? Sitting at home, chugging a beer, watching me prance around in some fancy lingerie? Because, you know, sometimes I wonder what exactly _you_ bring to the table to make me want to do whatever your simple little mind fancies up."

Ash tried to ignore the blushing faces of the eavesdroppers around them. "Oh, shut it."

The corners of Amanda's lips tightened. There was way too much concentrated control on her face. It made Ash's stomach knot. "I'm just trying to help," she whispered. "You know that keeping you in the public eye is the only way money will keep pouring in. It keeps a roof over your head." As she spoke, the waiter had returned with their orders in hand. A crystal glass was placed before each of them. Giving a little bow of the head, he wandered away once more. "After all," she continued, taking a delicate sip of water in the process, "…we both know that you need the income, Mr. Pokémon Master."

Ash made no comment, but Amanda's words seemed to cue a response from the table behind them. A young girl of what looked to be fifteen rose and scuttled over to the dater's booth. "So it _is_ you!" she cooed, beaming at Ash and his stoic expression. It was a sad thing she couldn't see his eyes, or she might have known now wasn't the time to be bothering this particular man. "I thought it was you from a distance, but I couldn't be sure. And I didn't want to just walk over and make an idiot of myself if it _wasn't_! That would have been just so, like, _embarrassing_!" Attempting to control an outburst of giggles, the girl dug around in the purse slung over her shoulder. Taking out a pen (and a corner from a piece of old homework?), she slid it over towards Ash's water. "Could I get your autograph? You seriously have _no_ idea how much of an _idol_ you are to me! I've decided to start training my own Pokémon team ever since you won the Championship! Your skill as a Trainer is just _amazing_!"

Temples still throbbing, Ash's hand twitched towards the pen and slowly picked it up. He distantly heard the girl continue to ramble about the Skitty her father had bought her, but he honestly couldn't bring himself to care. It was odd. Even for him. Normally he loved it when young Trainers came up to him to talk about his passion, but tonight even _that_ sounded stale. He scrawled out his name on the cramped piece of paper, holding out the pen to the young girl after he was done.

"Oh!" she added as an afterthought. "Can you sign it to 'Courtney'? That's me." A blush flooded her cheeks.

With a sigh, Ash lowered the pen again and managed to squeeze the name in the upper corner.

"Thank you so much!" Courtney crowed, but she seemed to finally be catching on to her idol's bad mood. With an awkward curtsy, the girl skipped back over to her parent's table. The paper was clutched adoringly to her chest.

A silence fell over the table once more. It wasn't until a soft laugh hit his ears that Ash remembered he wasn't alone. "…'I told you so' seems a bit unnecessary, don't you think?"

Ash continued to say nothing back. After all, Amanda had a point…as much as it bothered him. Being the youngest Trainer in a century to become a Pokémon Master had its perks. But it also had its downsides. One of them was the need to not be forgotten, or else all the press conferences and all the merchandise companies would stop calling. And when they stopped, so did the money. But…_this_… His chocolate gaze looked about the expensive, five star restaurant and felt uneasy. None of this had ever played a role in his childhood fantasies. …He looked quickly at the beautiful woman across from him and changed that statement. Well…perhaps _that_ part had been a bit of it, as he had started to get older. But nineteen was a young age to come back to his roots and win the Kanto league. And he never knew that a whole new world would open itself to him when the elusive fame was his…

Oh, Mew. He felt sick.

"I'm going to go get some fresh air," he mumbled absentmindedly. And with that he rose to his feet, leaving his drink untouched. Amanda sighed heavily as he walked away, but made no move to stop him. Not that he had expected her to – not yet, anyhow. Walking past a grinning Courtney and various other curious eyes, Ash pushed out the front double doors. And in he stepped to the cold Cerulean night.

The city was quiet as the double doors swung shut behind him. The new restaurant was on the Cape, and the ocean air chilled his bare skin. In his rush to be rid of the stupid place, Ash had forgotten his coat inside. Aww…to hell with it. He didn't need it. He doubted that the winter air could be any colder than the treatment Amanda would give him if he went back inside, anyhow. Rubbing his hands along his forearms, he noticed the cloud his breath was making out in front of him. He followed it over to a bench under a streetlight a few feet away.

The wood was cold and lightly damp. But he didn't plan on sitting for _that_ long anyhow. The numb feeling starting in his fingertips gave him some kind of awkward joy. It reminded him of days long gone, starting into the depths of a fire while his friends slept in a mess of sleeping bags around him. The wind would blow cold, he'd wish he'd never been silly enough to buy fingerless gloves, and Pikachu would cuddle up to his side to provide some warmth. …Speaking of which…

"Crap," Ash mumbled to himself, scrambling to his feet and digging frantically though his trouser pockets. The yellow mouse's less-than-amused face flashed though his mind as he grabbed his cell phone and began to dial a familiar number. It was only seconds until a gravely voice picked up.

"Hello, you've reached the Cerulean Pokémon Daycare. How may I-"

"Hi, this is Ash Ketchum?" Nerves made the end of his sentence pick up like a question. He couldn't believe he had forgotten to write it down on the form _again_… "I'm sorry, but…uh, I think I forgot to mention something on the, um, little paper thing for when I dropped my Pokémon off. I have a Pikachu?"

A shuffling of papers was heard on the other side of the connection. "Oh. Yes. Well, Mr. Ketchum, I'll have you know that we had _quite_ a time with your little Pikachu when we were rounding up the Pokémon this evening…"

Damn. That's what he had been afraid of. "Well…ya see, my Pikachu is a bit…claustrophobic. You can't put him inside a Pokéball without him really freaking out. I meant to write that i-"

"Information like that is highly important. It is for reasons like this we leave an 'other' section at the bottom of our forms where you can _warn_ us before hand."

Ash cringed. "…'Warn'?"

"Well, seeing how literally _half_ of downstairs is now covered in a layer of soot thanks to the Thunder your Pokémon gave off when we tried to put him in a 'ball for the night, I would say a _warning_ would have been a fair offer. Warnings usually come before something _dangerous_." Ash gulped as the line went silent for a moment. "…I'm sorry, sir, but I am afraid we cannot watch your Pikachu from now on. There has just been too many issues like this in the past…"

"No! Ma'am!" The young man's eyes widened. "You can't do this! I have a publicity tour in Cerulean that I need to stay on top of, and a lot of places don't let Pokémon in and-"

"I am sorry it has to be this way, sir, but this past night has been the last straw. You will come over and retrieve your Pikachu in an hour, or you will find it sitting lonely on my doorstep. I can no longer endanger the other Pokémon in my care in this way. Goodnight, Mr. Ketchum." And the phone was hung up.

"Hello? Hello! ...Shit." He slammed the phone closed with a loud snap. It was hopeless. How the hell else could he continue the tour with Pikachu always with him? Half the dinner halls only allowed Pokémon inside Pokéballs indoors, and that was _obviously_ not an option. Dragging his fingers through his hair, Ash desperately tried not to panic. There just had to be some other option. Maybe he could call in a friend to help out. Mew knew Ash Ketchum never had a shortage of friends. Damn, who would be available this time of night in Cerule-

…Oh. Wow.

How had he ever forgotten?

…And had it really been that long since he'd last called her?

Looking down at his phone, suddenly feeling a little sick, Ash knew he had found his solution. But he also knew that he was headed into a whole new set of problems. Memories from his last visit to Cerulean City flooded his mind. It hadn't been pleasant, especially when he and Amanda had visited the Gym. Ash had been greeted with quite the colorful vocabulary. Apparently he hadn't been the only one to get older and "wiser". Oh, man… He was in for it.

Ash dug up a familiar number from the dusty corners of his mind. As he dialed, he felt rather like a dead man walking.

Amanda would kill him when he said they'd be meeting Misty again.


	2. Bam

**Stormy Says: **Hello there! Thank you all for the lovely reviews for last chapter! First impressions are always important, and I'm so happy that I've seem to have made a good one with you all~ Writing this chapter ended up taking longer than expected. I had multiple versions going, and it ended up a bit different. But hey – I figured I had already made you all wait long enough, so on with the show.

**Extra Notes:** Ages of the characters were asked by Rogue Ninja. While I'm pretty sure it'll be more explicitly mentioned in later chapters, I figured I'd answer his question now anyway. Ash became Pokémon Master at age nineteen, and this story is based four years after that. So Ash is twenty-three, while Misty is twenty-four. Amanda is about Brock's age at twenty-six.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Bam**

The lamplight reflected off the nightstand. Specks of dust twirled softly in the glow. They floated over to the large bed in the center of the room, hovering over the pillows and tattered stuffed animals.

And the dust would be blown aside, every time Misty flipped a page in her book.

"_No, Juliana! Why can't you see?" Marco's eyes were shadowed with a loss so unbecoming to his face, the maiden felt her breath hitch. The moment – one she had longed for, many a sleepless night! – was now brewing on the close horizon. This storm of passion…was the lightening about to strike? "Oh, my Juli… It was you. Always you." And Marco's face told no lie._

_No Gods power could contain their joy – they rushed together, like two halves to a whole. The storm had hit the shore, but it was a beautiful rain of new life. And it was right. It was true._

_Oh, reader, it was love._

Misty sighed at the words, but flipped another page all the same. Her eyes quickly scanned the epilogue_. Married… Ran the kingdom together… Golden era of love… Like every other book in the series… _She closed the novel, throwing it aside. A yawn escaped her. Ugh…why did she feel so damn tired? It wasn't _that_ late. And her body was trained to stay up to at_ least_ one.

Late night reading had trained her well, after all.

It was a nightly pattern. These "bodice-ripper" books were addictive. Every trip to a book store, Misty felt like some low life about to make a drug deal. Sneaking to the back, clawing through the shelves for the newest novel… Each time the back cover promised her a "romance for the ages"! And each time she bought it, being the idiot that she was. She'd go home, get her high, and then quickly find her low.

And just rinse and repeat.

For the next ten years of your life.

Eh. Slightly depressing.

Misty flipped over to her side. The clock on her nightstand read eleven o' two. Hmm… Yeah. She could probably risk it now. Freedom on the mind, she couldn't help but smile. A touch of a switch, and the lamp turned dark. Hopefully her sisters would assume she was asleep...

Misty eased off her bed, bouncing to the doorway. She creaked open her door, but the hallway was empty. Her smile grew. _All systems go…~_

She tiptoed down the stairs. The carpeted steps were quiet enough, but the tile of the first floor not so much. Misty winced as her footfalls echoed. But maybe no one had heard. Maybe she could still get away to the Gym before-

"Misty? That you?"

The redhead groaned.

Daisy came walking down the hallway. Her sister's high heeled shoes sounded like gunshots against the hard floor. "Like, I've been looking all over for you." She stood next to Misty, fidgeting with her blouse.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now." Misty's eyes flicked down the hallway, already planning her escape. She had been so close…and so sure that no one would be awake enough to bother her.

"It's, like, still an hour 'till midnight. Why would I be sleeping?" Daisy giggled. "But I had to tell you. You need to go down to the tanks and, like, help Ian. He's _still_ cleaning the pools and stuff, but I don't think he'll be done with everything in time. Nico just called me. He's going to be stopping by tomorrow, instead of Saturday."

"Tomorrow?" How was she supposed to get the Gym ready for a League class inspection in under twenty-four hours? Figures Daisy was only in her best heels and skirt; she never lifted a finger before Nico was about to arrive. "We need more time than _that _to prepare! Just because your fancy boy-toy is on the Indigo League board doesn't mean we can get away with everything!"

Misty had planned on going by the pools anyway, but now I looked like it wasn't going to be for leisure. There was work to be done. The least she could do was give Ian some help. Poor boy had probably worked his hands raw by now… She stomped off in the opposite direction.

"Hey!" Daisy shouted after her. "Don't, like, get so worked up! We both know Nico couldn't care less about what the _Gym_ looks like!" She laughed, giving her mini skirt a little tweak.

Misty ignored her and disappeared around the corner.

The sound of harsh scrubbing echoed in the Gym's arena. It came from a couple tanks behind the bleachers. Jumping into the metal stands, Misty stepped up to the highest row. She peered over the edge and into the huge aquariums. "Hey!" she shouted down into the murky, salt water tank below. "If I can hear you through the water, you must be working your butt off in there!"

The scrubbing sound stopped. Small waves sloshed off the sides as a dark blob grew larger and larger, breaking the surface with a crash. "Blaaaaast!" cried a gigantic, blue skinned tortoise as it leaped into the air. The Blastoise came falling back down with a huge splash – Misty shielded her face as the front of her clothes got drenched. The large Pokémon went to floating peacefully in the tank, with only its shell above the water. But there was something clinging to it…

"I keep telling him not to be such a showoff," said the young man, taking the breathing apparatus off his face. He tossed it carelessly into the water beside him. It began to bob around as he brushed some soaked, jet black hair out of his eyes. His royal blue wetsuit matched the color of his Pokémon.

"Yeah. And we see how much he's listened," Misty grumbled. She picked at her oversized blue sweater, which was now clinging uncomfortably to her arms. Getting this wet was only fun in a swimsuit. "You spoil him too much – how's he supposed to ever take you seriously?"

The boy only grinned in response as his Blastoise slowly swam to the edge of the tank. Once he got close enough to the bleachers, he grabbed a couple bars and vaulted over. He was easily two heads taller than Misty, and his little smile showed he was enjoying it.

"Maybe Tidal isn't the only one who's a bit of a show-off, Ian." Misty stuck out her tongue. She turned back down the steps, jumping two at a time. Her company followed suit.

"How much work you got left?" Misty asked, inspecting the place. The water in the pool was crystal clear, and the chrome stepladders seemed to sparkle. The tiled floor reflected her face back perfectly, and she made a mental note to give the kid a raise.

Ian shrugged. "Almost done, I suppose. Tidal was just helping me get some grime off the bottom of the tanks. All that's left is to pick up trash under the bleachers."

"That's cool."

"…Yeah."

A silent moment passed.

"…So…"

Misty looked back to Ian. He was starting at his feet, kicking around an old Sensational Sisters flyer.

"Yeah?"

"…It's my birthday in two weeks."

She hadn't expected the change of topic so fast, but whatever. Working this late at night tended to make people act funny. "Oh, really? Uh…how old you turning?"

"Eighteen." Ian attempted a happy grin, but he was a bit too fidgety to pull it off. "Kind of weird. Feel like I just turned seventeen only days ago… Time just flies by, huh?"

"I know how you feel." Misty wandered over to the side of the pool, staring blankly down at her reflection. A pale, slightly lanky redhead stared back at her. She didn't look very happy. "Just make the most of what you got, I suppose. Have some fun."

What exactly had _she_ been doing at eighteen? Misty could barely remember. Probably more Leader work… After all, she had been officially in charge of the Gym since she was fifteen – legal age to do so. And even before then, she was Leader in everything but title. Battling. Battling. More battling. That what her teenage years had been, after she stopped traveling. Stealing a glance over at Ian, still dripping from the tanks, a knot of worry formed in her stomach. What would Ian's eighteenth year be like? Would he be stuck within these walls like she had? He was the best assistant she had ever had with the Gym, but he had only been working for three months. She'd never asked about what his future plans were. They only really talked Pokémon…

"Hey! Misty!"

Both Trainers whipped their heads around. The voice had come from the Gym's entrance.

"Aw, dang…" Ian groaned, rushing to the stands. He grabbed an empty trash bag and disappeared under the seats. Anything to not be bothered by the new arrival. He was just in time, for seconds later Violet came around the corner.

"Ugh, I've been looking _all_ over for you," she drawled. Fuzzy pink Luvdisc slippers were on her feet, and her hair was in a bun for the night. Glancing around, her lips gave a little pout. "Like, where's Ian?"

Misty walked over to where Ian had left his cleaning supplies, grabbing her own trash bag. "Are you here to stalk my assistant, or for something more important? Did the League change dates again or something?"

Violet said nothing. Her only response was to shove a phone in Misty's face.

She blinked. A…call? "Is that Nico?" But what was so important that he'd have to call at eleven at night?

Violet rolled her eyes. "No, it's not _Nico_. Like, why would he call you instead of Daisy anyway?" She shook the phone with a little flick of her wrist, smirking. "And if you knew who this was, you'd be, like, thanking me for being woken up, walking _all_ the way out here, _just_ to go get you and-"

"Cut the crap. Who the hell is it?"

Violet's smirk broke into a grin. "Lil' Ashy Ketchum wants to have a chat with you."

And _bam_. The memories hit her like a slap to the face…

* * *

The words seemed to vibrate in her ear. A buzzing filled her head, and Misty soon realized it was the silence. She hadn't yet responded. Hell, Misty had near forgotten to breathe.

She exhaled.

"Umm… Misty? You alright?"

"Yeah." Her voice seemed oddly quiet. Unnatural. This wasn't her. Who the hell had taken over her windpipes? As much as she wanted to scream at that idiot on the other end of the line, her strangled voice couldn't seem to make it happen.

"Well…that's good. I was a little worried about how you'd take the news." He chuckled awkwardly, something Misty sincerely hoped was just a nervous reaction. Because if he believed for a _second_ that she was actually alright, then he was an even bigger idiot than she'd ever dreamed. "…I promise I'll still call you though, Mist." The new gentleness in Ash's voice surprised her. A soft desperation. "I'll call you all the time. Or maybe write when I can't call or something. You always did like letters, right? You used to tell me all the time I'd need to write more and-"

_Just shut up. Please._

"Don't worry, I get it. It's…fine." Suddenly, Misty found herself majorly annoyed that the video chat was on. It was so much harder to lie to a face blinking back at her from the screen. It was so much easier to hide behind a voice. "You're on tour, you won't be able to visit as much. I understand."

The relief in his eyes was tearing her apart. "Thank you _so_ much. Everything has been so crazy lately. It's nice to get this outta the way."

What the hell did that mean? Was she just another issue he had to deal with? Another headache to a busy Pokémon Master? Misty was liking this conversation less and less with each passing moment.

"This tour is actually pretty big. My publicist has been telling me that the two year mark is usually when the popularity starts diving. You know, the excitement of having a new Master starts to die down. We have to act now to maintain their attention." _Maintain their attention._ Ash Ketchum didn't talk like that. Misty had a feeling those pretty words belonged to his little mystery girl.

Misty grit her teeth. "Is this the new one you were telling me about?"

"My new publicist?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, yeah! Her name's Amanda Stone. She's like magic, working out all these things for me. I don't know what I'd do without her."

_Amanda Stone_. Misty committed it to memory, in case she wanted to name her punching bag later.

"Hey, did you know she's a cousin of Steven Stone? As in the Hoenn League Champion? Craziest thing, huh…"

* * *

Misty took the phone hesitantly, hoping against hope that this conversation wouldn't go like the last. The sound of Ian's busywork and Violet's laugh seemed to fade far away. "…Hello?"

"Mist!" The redhead flinched away from the receiver. The shout had been so loud, the sound had gone crackly. "Oh Mew, I was worried you wouldn't even pick up. I don't know what the hell I would have done if you hadn't." A pause. "Actually, I still don't know what the hell I'm going to do."

Misty wasn't sure what she had expected. A childish – and desperate – part of her brain seemed to be holding its breath. She waited for a second, wishing wildly that he'd begin apologizing in the new silence. How long had it been since they'd talked? How long since he'd promised her he'd write every day? But as the quiet dragged on, it was obvious he was waiting for her to speak. She frowned. "Ash, what the hell are you going on about?" Her excitement from moments before had worn off. Suddenly, she felt like she hadn't slept in days.

"…I'm, uh, kinda in Cerulean."

She had had a feeling it would be something like this. Goodness knew Ash only called when he had to. What was wrong this time? "How can one be 'kinda' in Cerulean?" Misty rolled her eyes, although she missed the satisfaction of seeing Ash getting huffy in response.

"Alright, alright. I'm…at the Cape right now." He sighed. "Mist, please don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"_Excuse_ me?" Misty's fists tightened, nails scratching the cheap plastic of the old phone. _He doesn't call he doesn't write he doesn't care and then he thinks he can go and demand things-_

"What I mean is that I only have so much time to talk, and I really want to _talk_. As in, not be chewed out. …At least, not right now. I know you're gonna do it no matter what I say." Misty was too busy smirking to think of a witty comment. So she let him continue. "I…kinda have a favor to ask."

She snorted. "'Kinda' have a favor to ask? Like how you're 'kinda' in Cerulean?"

"I need you to babysit Pikachu for the next month. Or else I'm screwed."

The odd news washed over her, taking a second to process. Misty temporarily forgot that she was pissed. "Wait, is something wrong with Pikachu?" If Ash had hurt that poor little thing…!

"No! He's fine!" Ash sounded insulted at the thought. "It's just that I had a…problem with the Cerulean Daycare Center. They, uh, can't really watch him anymore. And right now I'm in the middle of a tour…"

There was that word again. Tour.

"_You're on tour, you won't be able to visit as much. I understand."_

Yeah. "Not as much". Or _ever_, for that matter.

Adrenaline – in the form of fury – hit Misty's bloodstream. It was like déjà vu all over again. This damn touring business… She hadn't honestly heard of any other Master doing such a thing. It was probably all that Stone girl's doing. Misty really hoped Ash was filthy rich by this point; what else was the point of these constant publicity stunts? Actually…who was she kidding? She hoped Ash was dirt poor, and he had to come crawling back to her on his hands and knees. It would only serve him right. Karma was a bitch, after all.

But…her anger was at Ash. And this was about Pikachu's well being. So no matter what Ash had done to earn the wrath of the local Daycare Center (and she was sure there was a story behind _that_), she couldn't take it out on his Pokémon. It wasn't fair.

At least, that was the excuse she gave herself. It sounded pretty mature though. She impressed herself, sometimes. Misty only had to get rid of the way her gut was flip-flopping, and she'd be set.

"Hold it, hold it, hold it," Misty interrupted, breaking across Ash's ramble about dining hall rules. "I don't care what mess up you've gotten yourself into this time, Pikachu's not going down with the ship because of it."

"Yes!" Ash's sigh of relief made the line go fuzzy again. "Thank you so much! So…so…much! I'll love you forever for this!"

Misty's throat tightened at his words, pulse fluttering. "Don't think I'm not pissed at you not being able to take care of your own Pokémon. I'm just helping your sorry ass out."

"Totally. Of course." But the cheer in Ash's voice made it clear he was no longer listening. He was too happy. "I'll drop the little guy off tomorrow. Oh, you have no idea how much of a lifesaver you are, Mist!"

"Yeah, whatever."

"I'll talk to you later. You're amazing!" And the line clicked dead.

Misty had barely moved the phone from her ear when Violet squealed.

"Ohmigosh! This is totally, like, out of a movie or something. I can't believe he called you after all this time!" She clapped her hands together while bouncing on her toes. Misty felt like strangling her. "I wonder if he, like, wants to spark some old romance with you! Maybe he broke up with that Stone girl and the tabloids just haven't heard yet!"

Drowning out her sister's words had been easy, up to the mention of Amanda Stone. She had nearly forgotten about Ash's "official" relationship with his famous publicist. …But maybe they _had_ broken up. There hadn't been any new gossip about the couple – Violet and Lily would have been all over it if there had been – but it was still a possibility. Ugh. Just thinking of that damn woman's death glare made Misty feel both sick and furious.

"Wait. Is something going on?" Ian looked up from his trash collecting, peaking out of hiding. He glanced nervously at Violet, but she was too preoccupied with her romantic fantasies.

Misty twirled the phone through her fingers. With a small shake of her head, she went back to her garbage bag. "Don't worry about it. We still have stuff to do, and I want to get to bed before midnight."


	3. Status Quo

**Stormy Says:** There's a reference to a lovely story by Virgo Writer in here. Maybe you can find it! Oh. And TL? This counts as my end of the bargain/blackmail~

* * *

**Chapter Three: Status Quo**

It had taken forever for Violet to find Misty. Ash had hung on to his cell like a lifeline, the minutes ticking by, wondering how the heck you could "lose" your own sister in the very house you lived in. But in the end, it hadn't mattered.

Maybe the wait had made him appreciate her voice all the more.

It was a godsend. Ash had gone from crisis mode to pure relief in under fifteen minutes. His mother had always said making friends would get you places in life. ...Or, at least, give you someone to watch your Pokémon.

How _was_ Mom, these days? Really had to give her a call soon. He hadn't had her specialty burgers with the Cinnabar Sauce in _way_ too long…

"I told Nathan that we are leaving in ten minutes. Are you going to be ready by then?"

Ash, sitting on the edge of the hotel bed, looked up to Amanda. A loose, white sundress fluttered against her tan skin. She was adjusting her straw hat in the mirror. "Uh…sure." Ash usually didn't give much of a damn over what he wore. The only exception was formal events, when he'd have to bring his A-game. On days like those he'd spend a half hour in front of the mirror, just doubting himself and his stupid tux.

Good thing today was just a picnic.

Amanda continued to fix her hat, although Ash couldn't really tell what needed fixing. But hey. Amanda did these kinda things. And she always looked beautiful because of it, so who was he to complain? At least…not to her face. Right? Right.

"You look amazing."

Amanda froze. She turned slowly over to Ash, a confusion on her face. It slowly melted into a blush, and her eyes got a new, rare softness. "…Thank you."

He knew it would work, and Ash gave a little smile back. The air still was thick with memories of the night before. Yet as Ash rose, it was thinning with each step he took.

Amanda protested as he tossed her hat aside, but she was silenced by a kiss. Her words muffled into a faint sigh. Ash swore he could feel her heartbeat through her lips, and it was rising as much as his was. His hands ran along her sides. He wasn't sure what felt nicer – the silky material of her dress, or the curve of her body beneath it…

But she pulled away.

Amanda was blinking a million miles an hour. She bent to pick her hat off the floor, hiding behind a curtain of hair. "W-we…have to leave soon. You know that." She kept fidgeting with her face, as if hoping to wipe the blush away. "…I'm going to finish getting ready. Then we can go down to the lobby." She disappeared into the bathroom.

And Ash found himself with nothing but a flushed face and an odd numbness.

* * *

"You're late."

"I know."

"But he's late."

"I _know_."

"So I guess it doesn't really matter, but, like, you really need to go faster…"

"Shut it, Violet, I _know_!"

Misty was frantically scribbling on paper after paper, throwing each one aside when she was done with it. Two stacks tottered on either side. The pile of unsigned forms was much larger than its partner. Such was the life of a Gym Leader.

"You don't have to snap at me. Jeez." Violet was slouched in the small chair that faced the office desk. Misty thought it was a little weird to see her sister there, since it was usually occupied by black-tie League employees. A pouting Violet _really_ didn't seem to fit. "Something's wrong with you. Like, you're always a brat, but not _this_ much."

"Oh,_ I'm_ the brat, am I?" A little rip sounded. For the fifth time that hour, the tip of Misty's pen had torn through a paper. "Aw, hell." She slammed her fist on the wood in frustration. Oh. Ow. Perhaps that hadn't been the best idea. Stupid anger management…

"Just quit already. Are you even ready for your man to come over?"

"He's _not_ my man. No matter how much you wish he was, so you could beg some of his money off me." Misty shook her hand out, wincing from the pain. "Besides, what's there to get ready for? He'll drop off Pikachu, maybe we'll talk for a little bit, and then he'll leave…"

"Is that Stone girl coming?"

She'd almost forgotten. If Ash's visit two years ago had taught her anything, it was that Amanda would most _definitely_ be coming. Misty shrugged her shoulders, mumbling vaguely.

Violet smirked. "She's, like, totally coming, isn't she?"

Misty's head was now throbbing as much as her hand. "Look. It doesn't matter, ok? They're only coming so they can hand off Pikachu. End of story."

"Sure. Whatever." Violet gave a fake, airy laugh. "Like, I don't know why you keep acting like this is not a huge freaking deal. Because it totally is." There was a buzzing sound, and Violet pulled her cell out of her jean pocket. She pressed a couple buttons. "…Oh." Her devilish smile grew.

"What is it?" Misty rose from her seat, filing away what little work she'd finished. "Did Lily forget what she was supposed to buy again?"

Violet chuckled. "Lily finished grocery shopping. She's, like, at the gas station now, not that far away. She says you'll never believe who she just saw drive by…"

In seconds, Misty was scrambling to the bathroom – and the closest mirror.

* * *

The car ride was a quiet one.

The back of the sedan was tinted black. Soft light only filtered through from the front windows. An uneasy silence hung in the air, and Ash gently scratched Pikachu's head. The yellow mouse nuzzled back at his hand. "Pi, chupi?" he quietly asked.

"We'll be there soon, buddy," Ash replied, although he knew that hadn't been Pikachu's question. But he wasn't about to answer the real one with Amanda around.

"Kaaaaa…" The Pokemon's ears flattened against his head, and he curled up tighter in Ash's lap. He continued to stare at his Master, worry in his tiny eyes.

Ash peeked at Amanda from behind his sunglasses. She was shifting in her seat beside him, trying to see the view from the windshield. Her fidgeting was making him nervous. It was only a matter of time before-

"…Where are we going?"

"To Cerulean's Battle District, ma'am," replied their young driver, Nathan, respectfully. He took a left at another streetlight, and the quality of the neighborhood took a distinctive turn for the worst.

"But we're meeting the President of the Cerulean Breeder's Association for a picnic. In _Watergate Park_. That's on the opposite side of town." Amanda's low tone meant nothing but trouble. Ash could practically feel the gears turning in her head as her stress began to grow. Amanda had a great poker face – it left Ash fooled more than half the time – but he had good experience with her voice. After all, he had learned over the years when to expect both the best and the worst.

"Yes, ma'am, you're absolutely correct. But Master Ketchum requested we make a side trip on our way over."

"Oh." She turned to Ash, raising an eyebrow. "Is _that_ was Master Ketchum said?"

"I have to drop off Pikachu. He needs to be watched for the next month. You know that." Ash looked away from her eyes, determined not to get distracted by them.

"You told me you had someone in mind who could help. But what decent daycare company would start their business in the Battle District? This place is _notorious_." Amanda stared out the front window again, as they passed countless old apartment buildings. Trainers were battling all over the sidewalks. Some of the fighting was spilling out into the streets. The Trainers were a mixed bunch, young and old alike.

"It just gets a bad rep because a few losers battle for drugs instead of fun. Most are Cerulean kids who need to train their starters." He was the Pokémon Master. Kanto was his home region. He knew a thing or two about local battle cultures, considering he'd spent years training his own Team in them.

But Amanda appeared unimpressed. "Why don't they get jobs? Instead they play around with their Pokémon here, when they could be making a living and something of themselves."

"So what's that make me? Am I just 'playing around' too?"

Amanda rolled her eyes. "You don't apply. You take battling seriously and make a proper livelihood out of it." She pointed to the window, although nothing could be seen through the tint. "You're not like them anymore, Ash. You keep forgetting. You're in a league of your own."

He blinked. Had that been a compliment? Ash went back to scratching Pikachu, although the rodent now looked both concerned an edgy. Every time Amanda spoke, Pikachu would watch her cautiously.

"We are about to arrive, Master Ketchum."

A colorful structure stood in the distance.

"We're seriously getting out _here_? We're probably still in the Battle District!" Amanda glared at the back of Nathan's head, eyes still flicking to the windows.

"Yes, ma'am, but we are on the very outskirts. There is very little trouble in these parts."

She grabbed her purse from the floor, taking out two Pokéballs. "I don't care." She examined them a bit, before placing them back. "I don't go anywhere without being able to handle mysel-" Amanda, glancing out the windshield, saw exactly where they had arrived. And paused.

The large, circular building rose above them, like a sherbet colored cake with wave shaped frosting. The huge Dewgong statue attached to the roof cast a shadow over the entryway. And just below the statue, there were a large sign with swooping blue letters.

_Cerulean Gym_.

Ash braced himself for impact.

"…What the hell are we doing here?" Amanda turned to her boyfriend, fury blazing in her eyes. The poker face was dropped. "You said… You said…! We would never come _back_!" Amanda groaned, throwing her head back in defeat. "This is not what I need to deal with right now. I don't need to fight off any of your crazy old traveling friends, alright? This was supposed to be a nice…easy…_calm_ day with a picnic…"

Ash squirmed in his seat, accidentally petting Pikachu extra rough. The Pokémon yelped in surprise. "She was the only one who could watch Pikachu on such late notice. I didn't have a choice…"

"That's your great excuse? 'The _only_ one who-'"

"Hey, Misty can babysit fine and-"

"Pikachupi?"

As if on cue, Pikachu threw himself at the door, pulling the handle down in the process. It flung open with a bang that shook the car.

"What the-?" Ash tried to pull his partner back into the seat, but the yellow mouse was already bounding up the walkway.

"Ash! Come back!"

Ash ignored Amanda and jumped outside. But his dang dress shoes didn't seem to have much traction, because he almost face-planted on the curb. "Pikachu!" Ash scrambled to his feet while Amanda grabbed her purse.

She glared at Nathan through the rearview mirror. "Be ready to leave in five minutes."

"Yes, ma'am."

Amanda got out of the car. She sighed as she came around the back, closing Ash's door for him.

Within seconds, Pikachu had come up to the sliding doors. He tilted his head, peeking inside. The blue-tinted glass cast a cool glow on the foyer. "Chu?" His beady eyes looked into the shiny surface, and saw the reflection of Ash running up behind him.

"What is your _problem_?" Ash snatched his Pokémon up, and Pikachu give an angry squeak. "You should know better than to just run off! You can't just walk in like you own the place. I'm already in enough trouble." But Pikachu kept squirming, falling upside down in the process. His ears dangled down, and the pair began to look like an awkward circus act. "Seriously! What is _wrong_ wi-"

His voice fell away. Pikachu had become still in his arms, smiling back towards the doors, still wrong way up. "Pi! Pikachupi!" He waved a paw.

Ash's eyes darted up. And froze.

The blue tinge of the glass made her look ghostly, and her bright hair looked duller. For a split second, Ash's eyes darted to the side of her head, half expecting to see a side ponytail. But it wasn't there. Her hair was cut to the chin, swooping outward. Her eyes, the same color as the glass, were hooked on to his own. It was an odd feeling, looking at a stranger whose name you know. It had been so long. Yet some distant memories never change.

A comforting feeling crept into his chest.

But the glass silently remained between them.

Ash watched Misty's eyes leave his own, instead looking nervously over his shoulder. Turning around, he saw that Amanda was right behind him.

Both girls stared one another down.

The tense moment hung in the air until Pikachu wiggled out of Ash's arms. The automatic doors whirred open for the Pokémon. The spell broke. An old, but familiar sound hit Ash's ears.

"Pikachu! I've missed you, little guy!"

"Chaaaa~"

Misty's laugh filled the cool entryway as Ash and Amanda stepped inside.

"Yeah. It's been awhile, huh?"

Ash had meant the comment as a lighthearted one. But apparently it had been the wrong thing to say. Misty raised her face from Pikachu's fur, giving the Pokémon Master a long, hard look. She seemed to be waiting for something. Silence started. Ash began to feel a little frustrated – how had he already messed up their reunion? He didn't know what do say, so he stole a glance at Amanda. But she was apparently fascinated by the aquariums built into the Gym walls.

Great.

But the expression finally left Misty's face. She sighed. "Yeah. I guess it has been awhile, huh?" She gave a weak smile, and that was all that was needed.

The sound of her voice in person – not some crappy cell phone reception – made Ash feel energized. He grinned back. "Crazy how time flies!"

And with that, Ash had officially run out of small talk. Crap. He tried focusing on Misty's face, but the dark hallway behind her grabbed his eyes. He knew it lead to the Gym pools. And, beyond that, there was probably some nice kitchen table or living room couch that he could flop into, talking away with Misty for hours. It would probably be nice. Or, at least nicer than this last second meeting, with a girlfriend that seemed to be practicing her mime technique.

Misty seemed to read his mind. She looked over her shoulder, then back at Ash. She raised an eyebrow. "You going to come in like a normal person, or just hang out on the doorstep?"

Ash avoided looking at her. How was he supposed to explain that they were already pushing things? Hell, the very fact that he was here at the Gym at all wasn't the brightest idea. He glanced at Amanda, who was still showing him the back of her head.

Suddenly, Ash felt extremely out of place.

"We would love to stay, but I'm afraid we're already running late for our meeting. Perhaps another time." Amanda's voice made him jump. It was crisp and professional, the same tone she took when gossip tabloids would come banging at their door. But she was still making no eye contact – Ash wondered what was so fascinating about Magikarp.

Misty snorted, holding Pikachu a bit closer. "Do what you want. Nothing's keeping you here."

"Trust me. I'm very aware of that."

Misty opened her mouth to say something back, but her words seemed to get lost in her throat. Her eyes narrowed at the easy smile growing on Amanda's face. Ash could sense something brewing. Some kind of power shifting. And that was saying something, seeing how he usually wasn't the most perceptive of guys. Time to end this quickly.

"So..." Ash drew out the syllable with an awkward smile. Neither girl was even looking at him anymore. "Guess we should hit the road, eh?" He wanted to grab Amanda by the arm and head towards the door, but the idea made him slightly nervous. Like she might explode if he touched her.

He felt better when Amanda gave a light laugh. "You're right. Wouldn't want to be late for Mr. DeAnza, would we?" Linking her arm with his, she quickly pulled him towards the door.

The quick change of events surprised him. Turning on his heel, he nearly lost his balance. "Uh, I'll call ya later, 'kay Mist? Thanks again!" Ash awkwardly waved over his shoulder to Misty, still a bit confused. Amanda was yanking pretty hard, and Misty's face was twisting into something that made him frown.

"Chupi! Kaaaa…" Pikachu was still in the water trainer's arms, calling back to his leaving master.

Ash opened his mouth to shout something back, but Amanda's whisper filled his ears.

"Keep walking. Please."

He did as he was told.

So preoccupied by their quick goodbye, Ash barely noticed when they banged into someone coming the opposite way. Amanda's shoulder clipped a young man with long blond hair. The Gym doors continued to whir, confused if they should remain open or not. A soft clatter echoed in the room. The man's name tag had fallen to the floor.

"Oh, I'm very sorry." The bite in Amanda's voice was thawing. She stooped to pick the tag up, arm still linked with Ash's. "Here you are, Mr… Nico?"

"That would be me! Sorry 'bout that." The man flashed a generous smile. He bent his chin to his chest, repining the bit of metal. Like Amanda had said, the name "Nico" was printed in dark, bold letters.

"Oh, it's no problem. We'll be on our way now." Ash's arm was practically yanked out of its socket once more. Dang. Was Amanda going to turn into a pumpkin or something if she stayed in there for a minute longer? Seconds later, they were speed walking down the sidewalk. Ash took one last look at the man they'd run into. He was disappearing into the Gym, the grin he'd given Amanda still on his face.

Weirdo. Stupid smile.

...Did anyone know what they were supposed to be eating at this picnic?


	4. Sense & Sensitivity

**Stormy Says:** Hmm… There were a lot of firsts in this chapter, including the first battle scene I've ever written. That being said…if you have any constructive criticism of that section (and any other part, of course) I'd love to hear it. (:

* * *

**Chapter Four: Sense & Sensitivity**

Misty let the silence wash over her, enjoying it for a brief moment. Anything that wasn't Amanda's sickly sweet voice was music to her ears. Her clenched stomach began to slowly ease loose. But it was like untying triple knotted shoes – it took way too long for Misty's taste.

"Pika... Chu." Pikachu seemed to sense the emotions tearing through her sanity. Snuggling into her shirt, the tiny mouse was a comforting ball of fluff.

"Thanks, buddy."

Misty clutched Pikachu to her chest, trying to fight the tightness in her throat. She could feel the heat radiating off her face. Jeez. That woman always messed with her system. What was _wrong_ with her?

But Misty had been so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't noticed a new man enter the Gym. Ash and Amanda had left about a minute ago - the same time the man had arrived - but the stranger still waited. Perhaps patience was a virtue. But it still scared the crap out of Misty, who jumped when she finally realized she wasn't alone. Her eyes widened.

"…Oh." Even in the dark half-light of the entryway, she recognized his face.

"Nice to see you, Misty. I didn't expect to get a personal greeter." A grin slowly stretched over the man's face. His hands were tucked into his jean pockets, blond pony tail swinging behind him. It grabbed Misty's eyes, annoying her. Humph. No respectable man should have hair that girly.

"Very funny, Nico." Misty bent down, lowering Pikachu to the floor. Ears drooping, the Pokémon plopped down next to her. He sat at Misty's heel.

"Chu."

"Didn't know you had a Pikachu. Thought this was a water-type Gym?" Nico chuckled. He eyed the mouse curiously, and Misty felt her heart beat a little quicker. Oh. Dang. What was she supposed to say? Admitting to babysitting the Pokémon Master's prized starter didn't seem like the smartest thing to do. And who knew how well Nico could keep a secret? She _really_ didn't feel like a flood of fangirls banging on her door.

The entryway echoed as Misty turned about, heading towards the dark hallway behind. "He's…a new addition." With a look back at Nico, Pikachu hopped after her.

Footsteps followed behind. "Really, huh? What level?"

Ha. She hadn't the slightest idea.

"Thirty-five." Misty kept her voice even. If she sounded like she knew what she was talking about, maybe he'd believe her. Either way, it was time to end this train of talk. "So…you want to see Daisy first or get on with the inspection?"

The diversion seemed to work. Nico came up to walk beside her with a smile. "I know this is a bit shocking, but my girlfriend isn't the only reason I came here today."

Misty forced a laugh. It hurt.

"And actually…it isn't the inspection either."

Misty arched an eyebrow, noticing that Nico had stopped walking. She turned around. The glowing aquariums cut rippling beams of light through the dark, and she could no longer make out the older man's expression. A tingle went through her ankle, and Misty realized Pikachu's cheeks were sparking.

"Pi_ka_chu…"

The Gym Leader stood a little straighter. "Then what _are_ you here for?"

"The record books might say for official League business, but I have another thing I'd like to deal with." Nico's silhouette grabbed something off his person. A mechanical whir echoed in the hallway, and Misty recognized the familiar sound of a Pokéball being enlarged. "I was hoping you wouldn't mind a little three v. three battle. For personal reasons."

* * *

The conversation was dull and the coffee cold. Ash stared into the brown depths of his drink, feeling more and more zombie-like with each passing moment. Stupid coffee. Stupid meeting.

Stupid Pokémon-Master-duties-to-society-and-the-public-eye.

"Be ready. He'll be here any moment."

Amanda stood beside him. Arms crossed and eyes tight, the strong wind blew her little sundress all over the place. She looked pretty – and pretty miserable. As nice as her clothes were, it seemed a bit silly to be wearing an outfit like that in early Fall. Ash would never understand fashion. Or women, for that matter.

"I am ready," he muttered, griping his Styrofoam cup in both hands. It did nothing to warm him. "I thought you said this meeting wasn't that big of a deal. That he was just a friend of your dad's or something."

She said nothing in reply. And Amanda's silence made him anxious. The couple continued to stand quietly under the iron archway to Watergate Park, a grassy area in the nicer part of Cerulean. The bad weather left the park like a ghost town. Ash leaned against the low brick wall that surrounded the place, wishing that he was back at the hotel, his room, his bed – anywhere but here. An image of Pikachu floated across his mind, and he wondered how Misty was holding up. Whatever his best human and Pokémon friends were doing, he was sure they were enjoying themselves more than him.

A chilly wind blasted by. Why did it have to be so _cold_?

"I think…that might be him."

Ash glanced to his left, towards the small dirt parking lot. A large black SUV had just pulled into a spot not far away. The chrome on the wheels shone even from a distance. It dwarfed Ash and Amanda's sedan that sat a few feet to the side…and the Pokémon Master felt a bit jealous.

A door slammed, and out stepped a large, older man. He began to walk towards them, white goatee shivering in the breeze, suit dark and crisp. The closer he got, the more Ash realized how tall he was. The fellow was pushing 6' 4". But even for his size, the guy held a strength and smoothness about him - Ash wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been an athlete in his younger days.

Amanda uncrossed her arms. A sweet smile graced her face while she tried to hide a shiver. "Mr. DeAnza! Such a pleasure to see you!"

DeAnza came up beside them, a towering figure with amused eyes. "No, the pleasure is all mine. It's been far too long." Ash was surprised at how slow and steady the man's voice was. For some reason, he'd assumed something…scarier? More intimidating? "You've grown so much since I've last seen you! Your father had told me all about the fine young woman you've become, but I'm so happy to finally see it for myself."

Amanda's smile faltered. "Well… You know Dad. He loves to talk." She turned to Ash, who was still in awe of both DeAnza's height and his car. "Of course you already know, but this is my boyfriend, Ash. He's been wanting to meet you as well!"

"Oh. Umm…yeah." Tearing his eyes from the gleaming vehicle, Ash plastered a grin on his face. He knew he was supposed to be happy. After all, Amanda only made him come to meetings with the best. It would be too risky for him to come to everything Amanda arranged – Mew knew he'd find a way to mess things up. "Very nice to meet you, sir." There. A polite hello. Mission accomplished.

Now…weren't they supposed to be having a picnic at this thing?

DeAnza continued to stare Ash down, a calculating look on his face. But the moment passed before Ash could even guess the reason for it. "Very nice to meet you as well, Master Ketchum. I…have heard so much about you."

Amanda gave a violent shiver.

"Miss Stone, are you alright? You must be miserable, with this weather and all." Before another word could be said, DeAnza had taken off his suit jacket. Draping it over Amanda's shoulders, it fell past her knees and nearly to the ground.

"Oh… Thank you!" Amanda looked slightly puzzled, but pulled the jacket tighter none the less. "How thoughtful of you."

DeAnza smiled. "Perhaps it's because I've always been fascinated with history, knights, and honor. But I've never liked to see a lady in distress."

Ash pulled at his own overcoat, a blush on his cheeks. Great. Nothing like having an old guy make you look like a jerk to your girlfriend.

"Now… I suppose we should get down to business." Turning on his heel, DeAnza started back towards his car. He gestured for Ash and Amanda to follow. In a few steps they were crowded behind the fancy SUV. The huge man was swinging up the trunk door.

"I know we planned for a picnic, Miss Stone. But I now have something much more important to discuss." His low voice could be barely heard as he dug around the back. "But just a few days ago, my team and I stumbled across a great discovery. This…could change the very landscape of Pokémon training."

Ash frowned at the picnic comment, but got curious over the last sentence. Is this why he had been asked to come? He gripped his coffee a little tighter.

"I know I am President of the Cerulean Breeding Association. And normally Breeders don't work in the field of training. But a…friend of mine put me in touch with some of the best minds over at Silph Co. I was fascinated by what they had achieved." A couple of packing peanuts fell to the dirt as DeAnza pulled out a test tube rack. In it hung five corked vials of silvery liquid. What the hell did this have to do with Pokémon training?

"This…" DeAnza's voice took a tone of awe. "This…is what we like to call Factor X. And I think Master Ketchum will appreciate it very much."

* * *

"I don't like this."

Misty, examining the row of Pokéballs on the rack before her, said nothing in reply.

"Why is he even doing this? Why would he want a battle for 'personal' reasons? Something is up."

"How am I supposed to know why? Either way, it doesn't matter." Misty selected two 'balls from the line of eight. She tossed the one in her right hand up, catching it with a satisfying _smack_. "I'll show him why I'm a Gym Leader. End of story."

Ian was quiet. He stood behind his boss, arms crossed, lips pressed into a thin line. Piles of boxes stood as a back drop to his frustration, the dim backroom claustrophobic. Just outside lay the pool – and a waiting Nico.

"I still think he's up to something."

Misty resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Like I said: it doesn't matter." She bent her head, attaching the Pokéballs to her belt. No matter what her assistant thought, the redhead didn't fear Nico's motives. In fact, she had a lurking feeling that this was somehow related to new League strength standards that had been passed that year. Each Leader had been assigned a "Tier" level – the order by which each Gym was to be challenged by Trainers. Official evaluations had been conducted months ago. Misty cringed at the memory.

"I think this might have to do with that stupid new system. Remember when _we_ got battled back in August?"

Ian chuckled, arms loosening slightly. "And how your sisters had to battle too, since they were still listed as co-Leaders? Ha. Yeah. That went well." He smirked. "But what does this have to do with Nico?"

"Well…" Misty fiddled with her belt, thinking over her last second theory. "Maybe this is like…a reevaluation. Everyone knew it was a joke to have Daisy, Violet, and Lily battle last time. Maybe they felt bad for us and are letting me have a rematch."

Ian said nothing. Still dressed in his usual Gym wetsuit, he pulled at the tight fabric. Silence.

Misty sighed. "I know you're still worried…but don't you see? We might have a chance to move up a Tier, to a place that we _should_ be. Cerulean Gym could finally be respected. I worked my whole life for this Gym. I…" She suddenly found her breathing thin, faces fluttering to her mind. She pushed the memories, the longing away, speaking with a new determination. "I gave up a lot of things for this Gym. And I'll be damned if I stop short of making this place the best I can. It's the least the city deserves."

_It's the least_ I _deserve…_

Ian still appeared unimpressed, but had no comeback. His shaggy hair shielded his eyes. "…Do what you have to do."

A small, strange part of Misty fell inside. She wasn't sure what she hoped Ian would say. But for some reason, hearing him obediently agree made her…frown.

"You'll be referee?" she asked.

Ian gave a weak smile. "Sure."

The two Trainers stepped out of the cramped storage room and into the bright arena. Misty walked over to the clear water, standing underneath the towering diving board. She unfastened a Pokéball. Nico's cocky smile could be seen from the other side of the pool, and his ponytail annoyed her even from there.

"You ready, Miss Williams?" he shouted, a red and white ball in his own hand.

Misty locked eyes with Ian, who had assumed his post by the bleachers. He nodded.

"Born ready!" she called back. With a cheeky grin, the Leader threw her ball. A shot of ruby light filled the air, forming into a spiky blob over the water. "Corsola, go!" The coral-like creature sprung forth. Little sprouts of pink rock jutted out of its cream body, branching out all over.

"Cooorsola!"

Nico threw his own ball. Red light filled the room again, twisting in the air. Misty narrowed her eyes as the brightness faded, leaving a surprise in its wake.

A sleek, golden Ninetales sat upon one of the floating platforms. Its blazing eyes focused on its opponent…with ten tails swaying.

…What the _hell_?

Misty said nothing, although she was sure her face gave her thoughts away. Ninetales was a fire-type. Why would Nico bring along such a Pokémon – let alone battle with it – in a place like Cerulean Gym? And second…apparently that Ninetales had forgot how it had gotten its name.

This was getting stranger by the second.

"This match will be a three versus three competition, consisting a total of three rounds, between Cerulean Gym Leader Misty and League Agent Nico. Each Trainer will send out one Pokémon at a time. The round ends when one Pokémon either faints or leaves the battle arena for longer than ten seconds. At the end of each round, both Trainers shall call out a new Pokémon. The best two out of three wins the match. Are both combatants ready?" Ian's official voice echoed through the room, filling Misty with a new sense of dread. She wasn't sure why. If anything, she should be happy right now. She had a clear cut type advantage, so victory was all but assured…

Nico raised his hand above his head. "Ready!"

Misty took a deep breath, doing the same. "…Ready."

"Alright then!" Nico raised both arms high into the air. With a glance at each Trainer, he quickly swung them down. "Begin!"

"Corsola! Bubble Beam!" Misty took no time waiting for Nico, hoping to get a strike in first. She didn't trust that fancy fox. Time to see what Daisy's loverboy had up his sleeve.

Corsola shouted its name. Taking a deep breath, a stream of large bubbles shot out of its mouth and headed right for Ninetales.

"Dive, Shiva!"

The line of bubbles hit nothing but empty platform.

_What?_

The fire-type had gracefully plunged into the water, vanishing in a blink. Misty's eyes widened. Did that weird tenth tail give the Pokémon some strange resistance, or was this borderline Trainer abuse? Either way, Corsola seemed worried. She had stopped her attack and looked to Misty for direction. The Leader grit her teeth. "Dive after. Attack under."

"Cor!" In a flash of pink she was gone. Both Trainers sat helpless as the battle continued beyond their sight, the rippling of the pool their only guide. Misty clenched her fists, trying to take advantage of the pause. _Time to think of a plan. Obviously he isn't worried about the disadvantage. I'll have to over power him another way. He thinks I'll go only for my usual water moves. I'll have to surprise him…_

Suddenly, a loud splash echoed throughout the arena – and a spiny blur flew up, up, up…as high as the diving board.

Ninetales surfaced, clawing back onto its platform.

Forget calm and collected. Misty gasped. How had she lost the momentum under the water – in her own territory? Her Pokémon was too high in the air for her to get a good look at. Was she injured, or could they still get off an attack…? "Corsola! If you can-"

Misty's answer was the sharp singing of metal.

Shooting off like a machine gun, steel spike after spike rocketed over the pool. Corsola spun as she began to freefall, still finding her target as she rolled. It was hailing Spike Cannon.

"Shiva! Agility!" The Ninetales danced as it tried to avoid the attack. Holes began to pepper the platform as Corsola's storm continued.

The fox howled as one spike grazed its leg.

But one hit wasn't good enough for Misty.

"Mirror Coat! And fall hard!"

Without question, Corsola curled up and began to shine. A hard, glossy shell wrapped around the Pokémon. She fell like a stone into the water below, cannonballing to the bottom of the pool.

"Surf!"

With the whole volume of the pool above her, Corsola's attack packed an even bigger punch. The water began to shake. Seconds later a huge wall of water shot up towards the ceiling, towering high enough to even make Misty nervous. Only a small bit still sloshed on the far side of the pool, and Ninetales gripped its float as it fell lower and lower.

Misty braced herself. "…Let it fall!"

The wall turned into a wave, roaring forward while Corolsa rose to the crest. It fell down with a deafening crash. The water bounced back from the impact, spraying all over Nico's side of the field. Misty smirked, waiting for the foam to die down, looking to see what damage she'd done…

But Nico coughed up some pool water before shouting, "Try a Fire Blast!"

A bright light began to shine from the center of the pool. Corsola had just bobbed to the surface when she suddenly gave a loud squeal.

A pillar of blue fire made the water bubble, boil, and _evaporate_. For the second time that battle, Corsola was sent flying through the air, riding now not water but a torrent of flame. "No!" cried Misty, not fully believing what her eyes were seeing. Was this physically _possible_? The smell of singed skin gave an awful answer.

"Umm…Shiva! Enough!"

A thick layer of steam hovered over the Gym and Misty bat at it with her hand. Her Pokémon was now falling back to Earth – this time without an impressive counterattack. "Return." The Leader pointed her Pokéball and the red light took Corsola back in. "I'm so sorry, buddy," she whispered, slightly in shock. Who knew how bad Corsola's burns would be later… She carefully placed the 'ball back on her belt.

"Cerulean Gym Leader Misty recalls her Pokémon. Round One goes to League Agent Nico!"

Glancing over, she saw that Ian was still in his same position – though now standing in a puddle with frizzy hair. Part of her wanted to giggle. But the bigger part of her wanted to pound Nico and his damn fox into a pulp. Everything…had just happened so fast. Nico had beaten her with only three attacks. In under two minutes. Against one of her best fighters.

Why had Daisy never told her she was dating a Pokémon powerhouse?

Ian was giving her an uneasy look from his spot. She must have had a _wonderful_ expression. Misty pretended not to see, choosing instead to take out her next 'ball.

"Hey, Ref! Let's get this going!"

Ian narrowed his eyes, but tore his gaze away from Misty. "If both Trainers are ready…" He glanced to see if Nico was prepared, but the man had just recalled his drenched Pokémon and was picking out the next. Misty could see there were only two 'balls remaining on his belt. Why did he seem so confused on which to choose? His hand was…twitchy.

"Umm, yeah." He snatched off the Pokéball to the right. "Ok. Good to go!"

Ian raised both arms above his hand. It felt an awful lot like déjà vu.

"And…go!"

There was an echoing growl as Gyarados entered the scene. The blue serpent bared its fangs, and Misty felt a new swell of confidence. This was her ace in the hole; last round had just been an awkward fluke. She wouldn't underestimate her opponent again.

"…Go?" With a half-hearted toss, Nico threw his Pokéball. It landed neatly on what was left of the floating platform. The regular lightshow ensued, leaving behind what looked to be a Hypno.

At least, it had the regular body structure of one.

If it hadn't been for those _crazy bulging muscles_.

Oh boy.

Misty bit her lip. This time she promised herself to play the defensive. Last battle she had gone in head first, and look where that had gotten her. No. Despite how every cell in her Trainer's body wanted to get that hit in, she would wait. Be patient. Let the enemy show its weaknesses before she used them to her advantage. And an uneasy acceptance washed over her.

Nico seemed tense. But with a casual wave of his hand he shouted out the first command. "Ra! Use Psychic!" The golden animal twirled the pendulum in its hand. The weight spun in a perfect circle, a blur to the naked eye, and Hypno's eyes began to glow red.

Gyarados roared in anger. He thrashed his tail in response, and a lucky swipe hit at Hypno. The other Pokémon managed to leap away just in time. As Hypno splashed into the shallow water, bits of platform ricocheted around the Gym.

Misty tried not to think about how much a replacement would cost.

"Gyarados! Focus and use a Hydro Pump!"

But the redhead's words did nothing. Her strongest Pokémon, her most ferocious competitor, continued to flail. What little water was left in the pool went flying, and soon the battle ground was little more than a concrete bowl. Was the Psychic attack still going? Hypno was now crouched in the far corner, eyes still glowing... Misty caught Gyarados' eye as he turned around. The agony she saw there made her want to want to scream. She didn't know what the hell was going on with Nico and his Pokémon, but some unspoken line had just been crossed.

"Nico! Enough!" she yelled across the Gym. Misty fought the panic in her voice. "Stop the attack! Move on to the next!" So much for this round going longer than the last…

Gyarados' roars began to stop. Misty was relieved. Nico must have called off that crazy Pokémon of his; hopefully Gyarados hadn't taken any serious _mental_ damage. But just as a smile crossed her face, she saw Hypno's blazing eyes turning to look deep into her own...

And it then that a yellow blur went streaking by.

"Pi! Pikachu!"

Suddenly the air was full of white light, static-y hair, and _pain_. And even though Misty couldn't see, she knew the battle was over.

* * *

The vials gleamed despite the overcast weather. The strange substance seemed to bubble slightly. DeAnza beamed with pride, Ash looked disappointed and confused, and Amanda raised an eyebrow.

"Factor X? I've never heard of it." She cocked her head to the side, leaning in for a closer look. "What is it? What does it do?"

"This is the future. Power. The key. This," DeAnza raised the tray, "is what separates the men from the boys, so to speak." He hooked Ash's eyes. "I've been especially eager to show to this discovery to a Trainer of your caliber, Master Ketchum. Who would better appreciate unlocking a Pokémon's full potential than the Pokémon Master himself?"

But before Ash could even speak, Amanda had pounced again. "Mr. DeAnza. Artificially enhancing a Pokémon's abilities after they've hatched is against League rules. You of all people should know this."

Apparently Amanda was quicker to get DeAnza's point than Ash was.

"I…am not suggesting such." The man's jaw clenched. "This is very legitimate research. If things like iron and calcium supplements are allowed for Pokémon after hatching, why not this? Besides…" He laughed. "There are no League rules about genetic enhancement."

"Yet." Amanda, still wearing DeAnza's oversized coat, narrowed her eyes. Ash was struggling to understand what had his girlfriend so upset. Why, DeAnza hadn't even fully explained what this "Factor X" _was_… "I might not know exactly how fair this invention of yours is, but I do understand how my father's mind works." There was now a tremble in her voice.

DeAnza's face had lost all of its smile. "Not everything I do is from under your father's orders, _Miss Stone_."

"Is that why _he_ was the one to suggest this meeting?"

Tension vibrated in the air. Ash wasn't sure which was colder – the new silence or the old wind.

"…I merely wanted to help an old friend out. I meant no harm." DeAnza turned on his heel, placing the rack securely back in the trunk. Packaging peanuts bounced around his feet. "If you do not want my assistance, then I guess that is up to you. I understand."

He felt torn. Ash's curiosity was getting the best of him, wondering what those little test tubes could hold that would make Amanda so anxious. She obviously knew more about it than he did. The boy vaguely remembered that her dad did some science-y work out of Viridian, but he couldn't recall exactly what it was…

"I just… I can't." Amanda fidgeted with her hands. She took off the suit jacket wrapped around her, tossing it awkwardly inside the back of the car. "I-"

"I understand that you're nervous." DeAnza slammed his trunk shut, turning back to face the couple. His face loomed high above their own. "Perhaps…if you had more time to think things over. Let the boy hear me out, come to his own conclusions…"

Ash's ears perked.

"No." Any hesitancy Amanda had disappeared. Her expression turned hard and icy. And she gave no explanation for her answer.

At least DeAnza seemed to understand, for he gave a slow nod. Ash wished he could say the same. "It is up to you. I won't force you into anything. I would never do that do you, Amanda dear."

Amanda blinked. "Well…thank you. Thank you for understanding." She stood quiet for a moment before looking to Ash. "I…suppose we're done here. I'll…get the car ready?" And she walked over to the tiny sedan parked next to the massive SUV, waking up Nathan who had fallen asleep in his seat.

Ash watched her go, feeling very frustrated. He still didn't know what the hell was going on. Only that there was some mystery substance that could "unlock" his Pokémon's "full potential", and Amanda was hell bent on him not having it… Even DeAnza had said there were no rules against using it, whatever it was…

A chuckle interrupted his thoughts.

DeAnza gave Ash a pat on the back. It practically knocked the wind out of him. "A strong woman you got there. I hope you know how to handle her." Ash had no answer to that, so he settled for a strained smile. "If you ever need any advice on women…or for anything at all, for that matter…" He pulled a card out of his pocket, handing it to the Trainer. He gave a sly smile.

"Umm…sure." Peeking over to make sure Amanda wasn't looking, Ash took the business card. He tucked it into his jeans' pocket. For some reason, it made him feel a bit giddy.

"I just think that a man of twenty-three years old should be able to make decisions for himself. Stop by sometime if you agree." And as Amanda began to walk back over, DeAnza vanished back into his car.

* * *

Hours later, the sun was setting orange on the Cerulean skyline. Streetlights slowly sparked to life. A twilight hush fell on the city. And, in the cobblestone center of Cerulean City Park, a man sat on a cold bench. Alone.

_Bzzz…bzzz…bzzz…_

The buttons on Nico's cell phone shined softly, reflecting in his eyes. The phone dug into his cheek. Nico mumbled absentminded prayers under his breath, hoping the call would connect as scheduled. What time was it, anyway? What time did the man say he'd be available? It couldn't be _that_ late. The sun, however low, was still in the sky…

_Bzzz…bzzz…_ "…Hello?"

Nico had been planning on making this call for days. Countless hours had died in preparation. But now…with that deep voice on the other line…all…coherent thought…

He licked his lips.

"Nicolas. You kept me waiting."

"I'm sorry, sir." Even when the rest of his mind drew a blank, the apology jumped to his tongue without a problem. "I…I assume that you've already seen…"

"Of course I have. I had every camera in that damn Gym pointing at your battle. A disgustingly easy loss, especially considering how I loaned you some of my _prized_ pets."

Nico bit the inside of his cheek, holding back a retort. He was never a good battler. He never signed up for this. But it had been his assigned duty to take Misty on during his inspection today. And when a job got assigned to him… "Her party didn't exactly have the lineup you prepared me for." There. At least that bit was true, in his defense.

An unamused snort shot over the line. "No. I suppose I didn't _explicitly_ warn you about a tiny electric _rodent_."

"Hey! I checked that damn thing with my PokéGear, and you know what?" Nico took a shuddering breath. "It was a level eighty-eight. Level eighty _flippin'_ eight." It was such a mind-blowing figure. He himself still didn't fully believe it. Even _this_ man couldn't mock _that_ bit of information.

A silence followed. Nico grinned. He could blame his loss on this unexpected flaw in the plan. He could have a second chance…

"…That can't be correct."

"Why would my PokéGear lie? It's perfectly fine. You gave me the stupid thing. And one Thunder from it practically blew up the Gym."

More quiet followed. The deep voice hummed a low note, taking its time to think. "This…is unexpected. A Pokémon with a level that high shouldn't be in the hands of an Elite Four member, let alone a Tier Two Gym Leader. In fact…"

A static-y shuffling was heard. Nico took the moment to wipe his sweaty palms on his jeans.

"Here." The voice gave a throaty chuckle and began to slowly read. "'And while most would expect a young man of such power to clock in impressive numbers, the data still remains astounding. Having one Pokémon above level seventy-five would be an impossible dream for many. But not this fellow. With not one, but five Pokémon reaching that bench mark, it's no wonder that ex-Master Jethro Jones met his match. And the rumors about the kid's starter? Completely – and amazingly – true. After talking with Indigo League representatives, the Pikachu in question is officially recorded at level eighty-six. Even Mr. Jones' starter, a thirty-five year old Venusaur, only reached level eighty-two before it passed away five years ago.'" There was the sound of paper flipping. "That was from an old issue of _Indigo Today_."

Yes. Nico had thought he'd recognized the article. "Wasn't that the bit about-"

"Ketchum. Yes."

It began to slowly dawn on him. Either his PokéGear was malfunctioning, or they had a new problem on their hands. "I think Daisy might have told me something before… Something about Misty and the Ketchum kid. They used to travel together, I think. They still stay in touch."

"And you never thought to tell me this, why?"

Nico winced, practically feeling the glare over the airwaves. "I thought it didn't really matter anymore. Many trainers go through a bunch of partners on their travels."

"If they're still in contact this many years later, then they're obviously more than just one-time traveling partners." A sigh. "Oh, Nicolas. It's things like this that make me want to pull my hair out…"

Nico fidgeted with his shirt. "But what does this do to our plans? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Are we going to have to steal the Pikachu for testing, or-"

"We have bigger fish to fry. Leave things like that to my brother's incompetent goons." The voice laughed. "Besides. I can pull some strings and have access to the League's records in a matter of days. There won't be a stat point on that Pikachu that I won't know about."

"And where does this leave us?"

The voice chuckled – a low, rumbling sound. "It means that our two plans are merging faster than expected. …I guess we will have to act now." A quiet moment. The park bench creaked. The trees above waved in dark silhouettes.

And Nico suppressed a shiver.


	5. Gravity

**Rosie Says:** Yes. That says "Rosie Says" and not "Stormy Says".

I've had a name change in my absence~ I decided some consistency in my internet life would be nice, and seeing how I go by "Rosie", "Rosewater", "Rozewater", or generally anything to do with roses everywhere else I post, I switched up my penname. I never really held an emotional attachment to my other name anyway. It was a placeholder to get rid of the _really_ pointless name I gave myself all those years ago when I was a middle schooler signing up for for the first time.

ANYWAY. Enough about that. Here is the chapter that is far too overdue. I hope you all enjoy~

* * *

**Chapter Five: Gravity**

_Glass windows made up the towering, four story walls, the dark night outside reflecting pitch black. Between the windows, down the long, open dining room, golden tables stretched as far as the eye could see. Large candles flickered as centerpieces. Sharply dressed men and women ate their dinners, the soft hush of small talk echoing off vaulted ceilings. _

_It was like standing inside a glowing, whispering lamp._

"_Kay. Look over Mandy for me, would you?"_

_Amanda turned around at the sound of her name. Dark hair curled around her chubby cheeks. A dress of red velvet fell to her black, ribboned shoes._

_Where was Daddy going? They had just gotten here…_

"_But Dad, I don't want to! I wanna go play!" Amanda watched her older sister wave a finger towards the edge of the ballroom. Two boys were pitting their starters against each other, a few other kids cheering from the sidelines. Amanda was too young to have her own Pokémon. Her sister, however, was only a year away from becoming a Trainer - a fact she never forgot to remind the rest of the family._

"_Katherine…" Uh oh. Amanda looked up to her father, shying away from the warning tone in his voice. The tall, lanky man loomed over the two little girls, his glasses flashing down at them. "Watch your sister while I deal with some of my associates. I will be back in a couple minutes. Stay here, by the entryway." When Daddy got that look in his eye, Amanda knew that was the end of it. Kay seemed to know it too, because she settled for a pouty face._

"_That's my girl."_

_Mr. Stone patted his oldest daughter on the back. Walking into the enormous dining hall, his bobbing head was soon lost in the crowd. _

_Amanda frowned._

"_This is stupid. Come on."_

_As soon as their father was out of sight, Amanda felt something grab her. Kay hitched up her matching red dress with one hand and began to pull Amanda along with the other._

"_But… Kay…" Amanda whined, dragging out the last syllable. Her smaller feet couldn't keep up with her sister's bigger ones. "Wait… Daddy said…"_

_But Kay wasn't listening. Pushing through the sea of legs, her blonde ringlets bounced behind her. She always seemed to know exactly where she was going… It made Amanda uneasy._

"_You better not tell, Mandy. We'll be back before Dad. I just wanna see the Pokémon first. But you better not tell, ok? Ok? You better not tell…"_

_Her sister's words echoed in Amanda's head, swimming with the sounds of laughing ladies and deep-voiced gentlemen. Her murky green eyes peeked up. All the older people…they were all so stunning. With their fancy suits and sparkling gowns, they were the image of perfection in Amanda's young mind. Why did Kay always run away during these dinners? What was so special about those loud boys and their Pokémon? Why be with them, when you could be with all the beautiful, glittering, smiling faces?_

_She would never understand her sister…_

**x-x-x-x-x**

It was that foggy space between dreams and waking. Amanda floated along the edge of it, wondering why such a memory decided to come to her. It had been years ago… The event had been nothing special; her Rustboro childhood had been full of them. She wasn't even sure how true the memory was, and how much had just been filled in by dreamscape. Amanda slowly sat up. Sleep dust caked her eyes. Rubbing them with a lazy hand, she decided it didn't matter. There was too much to do today other than worry about things that had already happened.

The hotel bed creaked as she slipped out of it.

The young woman came over to the computer desk in front of the window. Amanda gently eased out the chair, careful not to make too much noise on the hardwood floors. She glanced over her shoulder. The large lump in the bed had made no move. Amanda rolled her eyes, wondering why she even bothered trying. An atomic bomb could go off and Ash wouldn't wake up from a good night's sleep. Although his dark hair sure looked handsome, spread out over the white sheets… She bit back a smile.

The computer _boop_ed as she pressed the power button. The screen slowly hummed to life, flashing as it warmed its system. Amanda took her seat, typing her way through hotel internet passwords. It wasn't long until the search engine popped up. News headlines for the day scrolled under her blinking cursor, and one caught her eye.

"…Hmm?"

**Ex-Pokémon Master Jethro Jones Gone Missing**

Amanda blinked, somewhat shocked. Wow. That certainly _was_ big news. Temporarily forgetting why she got on the computer in the first place, Amanda clicked the link. A video clip opened in her screen. A pretty news anchor was standing in front of the Indigo Plateau headquarters, microphone in hand.

"OFFICIAL REPORTS HAVE COME IN JUST HOURS AGO CONCERNING…"

Amanda practically jumped out of her skin at the noise. Ash had been listening to his music last afternoon, and the woman's voice blasted out of the speakers. The volume was nearly all the way up. Smacking the dial down to no sound at all, Amanda looked over her shoulder at the bed. Yet…of course. Ash hadn't even twitched, while her heart was beating a million miles an hour.

Men.

Amanda took a deep breath. She gently turned the volume up, until the woman's voice was a just a soft murmur.

"…and no signs of forced entry appear on the premises. Jones' retirement home in Pewter City remains on lockdown as local police look for leads. The Indigo League Board is waiting to release an official statement on the case, and current Pokémon Master Ashton Ketchum has yet to be reached for comment. Reporting to you from Indigo Plateau Pokémon League Headquarters, this is Amy Souza of KNN signing out." And the clip faded to the Kanto National News logo.

Great. She had missed most of the video, but at least she understood the gist of it. Still… The publicist in Amanda began to worry. Ash would have to be informed of this. While he might have no information to help the investigation, the League would probably want to put him under some sort of extra protection. After all, what if this was more than an elderly man gone missing? What if it was some sort of foreign region's terrorist plot? Amanda chewed her lower lip.

And for the second time that morning, she jumped as a sound surprised her. The hotel room's phone on the nightstand began to blare. Amanda stared at the blinking red light. Even Ash, the heaviest sleeper she knew, gave a little groan from his pillow.

_Ringringring! Ringringring! Ringringring!_

With a sigh, Amanda pushed away from the keyboard. She'd have to look up her personal interests later.

She ignored the phone. If anyone of _real_ importance needed to get a hold of her they had her cell number. Instead, she leaned on to the bed, shaking Ash's shoulder. "Hey. You need to wake up. Now." He grumbled something back, but Amanda pushed a little harder. "No. Really. Now." Who knew how long they had until League reps were pounding on their door? At least the phone had gone quiet – for now.

Ash draped an arm over his eyes. He frowned. "W-…Wha'?"

"I was just on the computer. Apparently Jethro Jones has gone missing. I'm expecting a call from Ms. Goodshow any minute, asking if you're alright."

Peeking from under his elbow, Ash slowly blinked. "A call…what?"

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Just wake up and get dressed. I can't talk to you when you're like this." And she rose from the bed and walked over to the dresser.

She could hear a thump as feet hit the floor. Amanda opened a drawer and rummaged around for a shirt, head caught up in worst case scenarios. _If it_ is_ a threat, we'll have to put him under strict rules. No leaving the hotel. Pokémon on hand at all times. Not that he'll really mind. He loves showing off all those Pokéballs on his waist…_

"So… What about…Mr. Jones?"

Amanda turned around to see her boyfriend in nothing but pajama pants. Her eyes scanned over Ash's topless body and he didn't seem to notice. The cold fall weather had paled his tan. His thin build was more "fit" than "muscled". It surprised her how young and powerless he looked, standing barefoot in the hotel bedroom. So much more a boy than a Pokémon Master.

She tossed him a shirt to put on.

"KNN said that he's gone missing. Police are still investigating foul play. I suspect the League will be calling soon about keeping an eye on you until this blows over." Amanda pulled out a silky blouse, holding it against her body. Hmm…not the right shade of red. She smiled as a thought occurred to her. "There will be too much attention on you in Kanto right now. I guess we'll have to end the Cerulean tour early. Besides, I've already bought plane tickets for our trip to Snowpoint, so-"

"But… No!" Amanda looked up to see Ash pulling on his shirt, face full of fear. "We can't stop! So…soon! I mean, we're not..." He yanked on some jeans. "We're not…ready."

Amanda's eyes narrowed. She draped the blouse across her arm – it could wait. "What are you going on about? Do you not understand how serious this situation potentially is? If you're worried about the Snowpoint trip, I said I already have our tickets-"

"It's not about the stupid Snowpoint trip!" A clatter echoed in the room. Ash had snatched his wallet off the nightstand, coins raining everywhere. "It's about, just… Just. …Whatever." His face had flushed red.

Amanda paused. Was that color from anger? What had come over him? "Stop. I know you were looking forward to the things we had planned for this tour. But truth is, most of it has to do with Mr. DeAnza." She paused. "…Those events have since been canceled. You can take this like a little kid or like an adult." Her hands found her hips. "Despite whatever you're so worked up about, I've planned out everything for our Snowpoint activities. The hotel's booked, plane ready. We're going to get out of Kanto early so you don't get pulled into all this bad Jones publicity. It's only a two week difference. I have a feeling Ms. Goodshow is going to demand it, anyway." And that was that. It was all so fantastically simple.

So why were Ash's eyes so defiant?

"I don't care. I'm not gonna go into hiding like some scared little kid just because an old guy got lost on the way home from the PokéMart."

And the young man continued to change, jaw clenched, buckling his pants in silence. Ash slipped on some old tennis shoes while reaching towards the nightstand. Amanda watched him grab his keys. Running a hand through his hair, the Trainer stomped towards the bedroom door.

She fought the panic. "Where are you going?"

He kept walking.

Amanda hesitated, unsure what to say. She wanted him to stay. She wanted to explain her logic. But the words didn't seem to form right. Instead she found herself calling after him, voice hard, "You're the Pokémon Master now. Remember there's more than just _you_ to think about."

Ash glanced back. "…I know."

The door slammed. And the hotel phone rang once more.

**x-x-x-x-x**

Nico slouched in a velvety chair, staring blankly down at his feet. The high, vaulted ceilings above him seemed even larger in the quiet, and bookshelves lined the walls like silent sentinels. It was dark. Or perhaps dim was the better word. The only light came from the series of stained glass windows to his right, casting deep jewel tones on the plush carpet. Flicking his eyes up, up, up to the impossibly high roof, Nico couldn't even make out the mosaic work he knew was there. Shadows ate it up. He frowned.

A soft vibration seeped into the room. Nico glanced toward the far wall as a golden sliver appeared, growing into the shape of a doorway. A hair-jelled silhouette formed and Nico gave a sigh.

"I was hoping it just be you. Mew knows I don't need any extra problems right now."

The figure closed the door behind it, winding across the floor between large desks and scattered couches. A chuckle echoed. "What did you do now? He normally doesn't have me talk to you." The figure passed into a square of yellow light, and his face was lit up in an unhealthy looking hue. The young man's dark hair paled in the color, and his tan skin became bleached. He gave a twirl of his hand. "Strange place he picked this time."

Nico grunted. "You're telling me." With a groan, the man threw his head against the chair's back. Eyes caught in the ceiling's shadows once more, he gave a hoarse whisper. "He's so fuckin' pissed, man. I don't even know what to do. If that damn Jones hadn't gone missing and he became so busy 'cause of it, he'd be all over my ass right now."

The visitor didn't flinch at the coarse language, instead giving a slow nod. "Yeah, heard about that this morning. It's all the news can talk about." A pause. "…Does anyone know if the current Master's alright?"

"Hell if I know," Nico snorted, although his face grew somber as he thought of his phone call in Cerulean Park the night before. "Although… I'd be willing to bet he's fine. For now at least."

The visitor nodded once more.

"But who cares about all that press crap. I know he sent me and you here for more that just a chit-chat." Nico turned his chin away from the roof, gazing intently at his companion. "What's your real reason?"

The figure sighed, reaching into an overcoat pocket and pulling out a small box with a bronze crank. The silver gilding shone in the stained light, giving off an unearthly sheen. As he shifted the contraption in his hand, glowing blotches raced across the carpet. "He gave me this. Although, like usual, I have no idea what the heck it is."

Tempered excitement shone in Nico's face. He had a vague idea what it was, but was afraid to fully believe it. "Lemme see," he mumbled, rising from his seat to take the object. The visitor handed it over gently, and it felt solid in Nico's palm. "I'm so glad he trusts you so much now. It so much easier when you're the one he picks to play messenger boy."

The figure frowned. "You know, it's not exactly fun playing page. Pretty sure it wasn't in my job description when I took the position."

"No! No, I don't mean it like that!" Nico shook his head hard, a strangled laugh coming out. His ponytail whipped against his neck. "I just mean it makes me feel so much better! Talking to _you_! Seriously, he thinks giving me the cold shoulder and setting me up in dark rooms will intimidate me to do better next time. As if I had lost that damn battle on purpose or something." Nico grinned. "I really doubt he'd planned on sending my best friend to do the dirty work. Can you imagine if he knew?"

It was silent as the figure gave a small, closed-lip smile. "…I'll see you around the office, kay?"

"Sure, sure. Maybe we can go grab something to eat when this whole Jones thing blows over." Nico lifted the silver box above his head, holding it against the glow of the windows. He couldn't help but be transfixed. "And really, thanks again, Brock. I owe you one."

**x-x-x-x-x**

Misty hated water.

At least, that was what her parents had said, many years ago. She could still remember splashing around the Gym pool, her mother's smiling face nearby, wondering what the older woman found so funny. _You used to be so scared of swimming, Missy. Now I can't get you on land! _An incident with her father's Gyarados at two years old had made her despise all water, let alone enjoy being _in_ it. But a strange need had always called her back. There was no thinking involved. She had gotten her first water Pokémon, and a love affair had been born.

_Little Missy. My Lil' Miss… Your daddy's going to be so proud of you…_

But her mother's laugh was no more. And for a second, Misty could remember that distant hate. She sure as hell wasn't liking the pool right now.

"Ian. We're screwed."

The assistant gave a thin smile. He looked slightly out of character to Misty, wearing jeans and work boots instead of a wetsuit, but his thoughtful face remained the same. Ian kicked at a scrap piece of foam. "We have a lot of work to do. But we can't exactly leave it like _this_." He chuckled.

The two stood before the wreckage that was Cerulean Gym. The sight brought an uncomfortable burn to Misty's eyes. The diving board had holes. The bleachers held black scorch marks. Shards of glass from the overhead lights sparkled on the ground. The deep pool held now only a few shallow puddles, and they were still finding bits of platform scattered around the place. Yesterday's battle was a fuzzy shadow in Misty's memory. Yet the scene before her brought it back to life.

"I still…don't know what to say." A blinding flash and her mind had gone blank. She had woken up much later, on the dusty arena tile, Ian's face floating over her. She still couldn't figure out how to explain what had happened in the split seconds before. She still didn't know why that Hypno had been about to attack her. What had been stranger: Nico's Pokémon, or the way in which the battle had come about? "All I know is that Pikachu is getting free ketchup bottles for the rest of his life."

Ian shot her a confused look. But he shook his head and said nothing.

Misty stepped forward. Her ratty tee shirt caught around her knees, but she'd wanted something comfortable to clean up in. She grabbed one of the metal ladders that sunk into the pool. The chrome had shown yesterday, but now it warped and dark. She frowned. Never in all her years as a Gym Leader – hell, as a _Trainer_ – had she been so close to raw power. Those type of flames she'd only seen once before, and an impostor Legendary had been firing them to protect the little girl it loved…

_His_ face flashed through her mind. She quickly pushed it back.

"We should report this. The League should have to pay for these damages. Especially considering one of their own did it."

Misty bit her lip at Ian's words. "Well…" She drew circles in the ladder grime. "…That battle wasn't exactly on official record."

"Are you really going to let that _stop you_?" Ian's mouth hung slightly open. He blinked. "Misty. This is _serious_. Just look around you!" He wildly flung his hands around, saying, "This place is a disaster zone! I don't know what you have in mind, but no Gym Leader's salary could fix this all up!"

"Don't try to tell me what I can and cannot do, Ian!" Her voice had come out as a strangled shout before she could even stop it. Misty squeezed her eyes shut. "Last I checked I was the Leader here! And I say that we're going to handle this on our own!" She gripped the ladder tighter, a slick film coating her palm. The feeling made her sick.

Ian grew quiet. "…I just meant-"

"I don't care." Courtesy be damned. She was tired of being nice. "We'll fix this up with the emergency Gym money I have in the bank. It's enough to get started on renovations." The League wouldn't hear a whisper about what had happened here. No proper seven or _eight_ tier Gym would ever let something like this happen. This couldn't go on the Cerulean record. Ever. "We'll host our battles in the outdoor pool for the time being. It's a bit smaller…but we'll manage. Things will work out. Eventually."

It was then a sweet _ding!_ sound echoed through the crumbling arena. Both Trainers whipped around to face the hall that led to the entryway. Misty turned to Ian. "I thought you canceled all battles scheduled for today."

"I did." Ian took a few steps away from the pool, peeking down the hallway. "But that's definitely the bell from the front room. Someone must have missed the messages I sent out."

Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Misty and Ian stood helpless for a second, frozen, waiting. A young man stepped out into the flickering stadium lights, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"H-hey guys," stuttered Ash Ketchum. His t-shirt appeared on backwards and his hair was a mess. He actually looked a bit fitting, surrounded by wreckage. It slowly seemed to dawn on him that he was standing at ground zero. He stared at the busted diving board and wrecked pool, jaw dropping. "Misty! What hap-"

"Chaaaa!"

Pikachu came bounding out of the hallway behind them. He was a little yellow streak as he bounced into Ash's arms. "Pikachu! I've missed you, little guy!" The Pokémon repeated his name happily as he was squeezed into a hug.

Misty's body relaxed a bit as she saw who her visitor was. "What brings _you_ here?" She wrinkled her nose, wiping the ladder grime off on her shirt. It left a dark smear.

Resting his chin on top of Pikachu's head, Ash gave a nervous grin. "Oh, you know… Just thought I'd stop by. See the _best_ best friend ever…"

"Flattery will get you no where," Misty noted, waving him off.

Ash smirked. "Who said I was talking about you? I was talking about this guy!" He threw Pikachu up into the air, both Trainer and Pokémon laughing like from a flashback of many years ago.

"And sarcasm will get you even less." But the redhead's smile didn't match her words. She was soon laughing despite herself and walking away from the pool. "Let's get away from his mess. I really doubt you came by just to say hi, and I have coffee upstairs." She walked past Ash and out the exit. The Trainer and Pokémon followed close behind.

Ian blinked. Gritting his teeth, he bent down to pick up foam on his own.

**x-x-x-x-x**

"So how are things, Mr. Pokémon Master?" Misty poured two cups of coffee at the kitchen counter. Adding some cream, she listened for a response to what she thought was a pretty innocent question.

From the silence, apparently it wasn't.

She turned around. With a steaming mug in each hand, Misty sat across from Ash at the small folding table. Her friend quietly fidgeted with his fingers. Pikachu was lying in the middle of the table, head resting on his paws, whining softly.

"Cha…"

Ash shifted in his chair. "There's been…stuff." He sighed. "Amanda saw on the computer this morning that Jethro Jones has gone missing. They kinda want to put me on lockdown because of it."

Misty's eyes widened a bit. "Do they know who…?"

He shook his head. "That's why they're so freaked out right now. It could be anything from some huge conspiracy theory to Jones wandering off on his own. Amanda was kinda worked up this morning over it. The League probably is too."

"But what would they want with the _ex_-Pokémon Master?" After all, the elderly man was just a public figure at this point. He held no true power. "I mean, if someone really was trying to do some damage, wouldn't they go straight to you?"

"That's what I said. But no – no one listens to me." Ash chuckled, eyes wandering around the room. He leaned forward on to his elbows. "Personally, I think they're overreacting."

"The League likes to overreact. They're good at it."

Ash cocked an eyebrow. "Is that why you haven't told them about that wreck downstairs?"

Misty groaned, slouching deep into her chair. The cup of coffee remained clutched between her hands as she stared into steam. Pikachu's ears perked at the sound of her sighing. With half-lidded eyes, he whined softly. "Can we just talk about the potential threat on your life? That's a much more pleasant topic."

The young man shrugged. "Have it your way. But I have a feeling there's a really good story and you're just not telling me because you like to be an annoying little runt."

She scowled into her drink, muttering something about men being obsessed with inches and measuring things.

"Besides," Ash continued, "I really couldn't care less about all this stupid League stuff. They're always in some kinda crisis anyway. It's hard to take them seriously after awhile. It's when they get all weirded out that I actually look forward to leaving Kanto for a bit. The reception sucks in Snowpoint, so lucky me. They won't be able to attack my cell phone with calls. That alone will be worth all the snow. I don't even _like_ snow. Are you much of a snow person? It's a _form_ of water, right?"

Misty sat quietly, tilting her wrist to swirl circles in her drink. She let Ash's words wash over her, listening less to what he said and more to the tone. He was rambling. Probably on purpose. But she really didn't mind. It occurred to her that it had been a long while since his voice had echoed around her kitchen. Two years. "…How long are you guys staying in town again?" She set down her mug on the table.

"I don't know. Amanda had this month-long stay for Cerulean planned, but now it's all gone out the window. We had a big meeting with an old friend of her dad's the other day, but things kinda fell apart. They got to fighting." Ash shrugged. "Maybe that's why Amanda's not too worried over leaving for Snowpoint early. I think a lot of our future plans had to do with that DeAnza guy's business. And that's not exactly going to be happening any time soon."

Misty leaned against the hard back of the chair, thoughtful. "Seems strange to put so much importance on one man and have it fall through like that. Why would she drag you all the way to west Kanto just for one uneasy deal?"

The young man gave a tight smile, scratching the back of his head. "Who knows? At least I'm here though, right? What more do you want?"

"But why are you even in Cerulean to begin with?"

Ash...paused, fingers tangled up against his scalp. "You know I'm not very good at organizing myself, finding nice places…"

Really? That was the best he had? "Ash. You have enough money to buy a personal plane and a navigator if you wanted to. I doubt the reason you're in Cerulean is because it's _convenient_…"

He yanked hard on a fistful of hair. His shoulders were rising higher and higher. "That's not what I meant."

Misty crossed her arms. Jeez, how many people was she going to have to yell at today? "Well, I suggest you start talking clearer then! Because it seems to me you're just got dragged across the continent and you don't even know why. Are you normally this whipped?"

His eyes then flashed. And she wasn't ready.

"What I mean is that I don't do crap anymore! For _anything_, Misty! I'm not in charge of _anything_!" Ash's voice thundered across the small space, causing his company to jump. His head was in his hands, arms tense, as he shouted towards the tile. "I battle because that's what I'm good at! That's what I can do! I don't mess the fancy, plan-y, organize-y stuff that rich people all somehow know how to handle. That's not me! _Amanda_ knows how to deal with everything that I don't know how to. She can plan and help me through all that stuff that scares the crap outta me. She deals with everything. It's not about being _whipped_. With her I can just let _go_." His face peeked back up at her, brown eyes shining earnestly.

She was stunned. An awkward, jittery silence washed over her. Misty wasn't sure what felt worse – the words Ash had just spoken, or the relief he seemed to feel in speaking them. "So you're saying," she breathed, trying to blink away the confusion, "that you just let this Amanda woman control everything you do?"

Ash threw his hands up in the air. "Mew, Mist! It's her job, and you say it like it's a bad thing!"

Good heaven above. What sort of twisted alternate dimension had she fallen into?

"Of course that's a bad thing! How could it not be?" She flung her arms wide, disbelieving. Misty's gaze was hooked on the boy before her, bowed head blocking his face from her. How could he not _see_? "You're finally living the dream you've had ever since you were ten years old! Ever since I've _known_ you. And you're handing the control of your own life away. You don't even care anymore!"

Ash opened his mouth to say something, but Misty sharply cut him off.

"There is _nothing_ worth giving away what you've worked so hard for. It's not healthy to take a backseat to your own life." She closed her eyes, finding comfort in her words. If there was one thing true in this world, it was what she was saying right now. "You have to always hold on to your dreams. And yourself."

Ash tried to hide his gulp. "…Maybe you need to grow up a little, Misty."

Oh. No. He hadn't.

The irony would have been laughable if it hadn't hurt so much. This was the very boy she had traded in her childhood dreams for. The wild, twisted hopes of a fifteen year old girl from long ago, praying to gods she didn't believe in, that someday her Gym could be the best in not just Kanto, but all the known battling world. That someday that beautifully stubborn boy would come to her door, seeking a rematch, because he'd heard of how strong she'd grown. Because if her friendship couldn't keep him always by her side, his love of Pokémon would bring him coming back…

But she had learned and relearned that dreams didn't always work with reality. Because family and duty came before teenage angst. And yet here was that silly boy, her best friend, sitting pretty with all this dreams fulfilled – and he didn't even care. It was a _hassle_. He let someone _else_ take the reigns. He'd had the chance to do what she never could: follow what your heart had told you.

Something long-forgotten began to burn on the edges of her vision. It was damp and frightening. Where was all this coming from? All this deep philosophy striking her in one moment, just because Ash's face was in the room? Either way, Misty Williams was not a crier. And she wasn't about to start now. "Listen." Her voice was rough. Hard. "Never talk to me about needing to _grow up_. Not _ever_."

Misty didn't like to flaunt her somewhat messed up childhood. But she sure as hell had some experience in having to act like an adult too soon. Her words had weight. And he knew it.

"Mist. Wait. That was…really stupid of me to say." Ash's tan face had paled a little bit. "Mist-"

"What's going on in here?"

Misty's reddening eyes flashed up and Ash twisted around in his seat. Ian had appeared in the doorway that led to the stairwell, his steel-toed boots thumping towards the table. His gaze instantly hooked on Misty's face, which was frozen into stony blankness. A large chunk of foam hung limp in his hand. "I heard yelling. Is everything alright?"

"Don't worry about it." The two water Trainers turned to watch Ash rise from his seat. Pikachu called softly up at him, but he only responded with a quick pet of his golden fur. "I'll be back later to pick up Pikachu or visit him or…something." With a surge of will power, he chanced a look up at Misty's face. She was very pointedly not looking at him, staring instead at the foam Ian was holding.

It was an odd triangle of looks: Ian to Ash to Misty to the foam to Pikachu who whined helplessly off to the side.

Ash frowned when Misty still avoided his eyes. "I p-probably need to get going now anyway. …Amanda's probably waiting for me at the hotel." Ian glanced up as the Master stuttered and looked visibly pained at the thought.

Ash's chair squeaked as he pushed it backwards, but Ian's voice rose above the sound. "I don't think you should come up here, yell at your host, and think you can just leave." The older boy looked to the younger one, a flicker of surprise on his face. Ian pushed his dark bangs to the side with his free hand, his cold gaze chilling the room. "I don't know what you two are fighting about, but it's pretty rude to shout at a lady. Especially one that's doing you a favor, serving you coffee, and having to deal with the mess _your_ Pikachu made downstairs."

Misty's eyes rose from Ian's hand to his face.

With a snort, Ash stood up from his seat. "I don't know who you are, kid, but obviously you don't know how me and Misty work. We kinda shout a lot. That's just how it is."

Ian's icy features melted to surprise. He turned to his boss. "And you're ok with this? What else does this guy do?"

No reply.

A strange tightness came to Ash's face, words finally dawning on him. "…Wait. Pikachu is the reason the Gym is a wreck?" He pointed to his yellow companion, disbelieving. The Pokémon buried his face in his paws.

"Chaaa…"

Ian groaned.

"You didn't know? She didn't tell you? During a League visit yesterday, the inspector challenged Misty to a battle." Ian took a step towards Misty as the redhead lowered her head to the table, her cheek pooling on the speckled blue surface. The cup of coffee sat steaming and innocent behind her. The assistant placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Ash watched closely, his brown eyes wary. "He had freakishly strong Pokémon. Honestly, only an Elite Four member would have even stood a chance. Heck…even that would be a stretch."

The vision of the Hypno's eyes flashed through Misty's mind. She found herself shivering at the thought.

"But why was Pikachu in the battle? I know Misty's Party doesn't back down from a challenge." The inadvertent compliment slipped through the heavy air.

The words roused some life out of Misty's ghostly expression. Staring Ash down, she fought the fine line between wanting to tell him what happened yesterday and wishing it had been all just a dream. How could she ever explain what it had been like yesterday, knowing that no matter what you did you stood no chance? She hadn't felt that helpless on the battlefield since she'd been a gangly legged eleven-year-old… "You don't understand. Those things weren't normal. I don't even want to call them Pokémon." Was Daisy really that clueless that her boyfriend was such a fantastically strong Trainer? Or…was something else at work here?

Ian seemed to be reading her mind. His hand tightened on her shoulder. "…Do you think Daisy would know anything?"

The pale florescent bulbs flickered as Misty shoved herself to her feet. Her vision caught Ash's, and she saw his eyes widen at her sudden movement. She smiled. Damn straight, he should be afraid of her when she was pissed. She turned to Ian as his hand slid off her now-straight shoulders. "Only one way to find out, right?" With a flick of her ruby hair, Misty rounded on her visitor. "You," she commanded, jamming her finger in Ash's direction, "will get out of this house until I feel like seeing your face again. And even then it'll probably only be for slapping purposes. I have more important things to deal with than a pouty twenty-two year old."

"But-"

"Out!" she screeched, flinging her hand towards the door with such force it felt like her hand was going to fly off.

Spitting out a nonsensical list of colorful words, the Pokémon Master stomped back downstairs, shouting something sounding like, "Twenty-_three_!" over his shoulder. Pikachu rose from the table and leaped after his Trainer, chattering away in his own language.

Misty trembled in her spot, feeling the tile beneath her quake as the stairs shook with Ash's steps. The noise slowly faded away, leaving nothing but her flushed cheeks and ragged breath in its wake. Most of her mind felt oddly satisfied – yelling at Ash had a tendency to do that. But something else twinged in her chest… She quickly remembered her new mission, pursing her lips.

"You must be really pissed at that guy, huh?" Ian's voice cut through her fury-induced focus. "Seriously, you usually only yell that loud when your sisters forget to pay the bills!" His impressed smile hung on the edge of her vision. But her eyes were still stuck on the empty stairwell.

Misty breathed deeply. In through the nose, out through the mouth… "I was doing him a favor. If he stayed any longer, I might have told him exactly what I think about that girlfriend of his."

He chuckled, playing one-handed catch with the foam in his hand. "Williams, you're a force to be reckoned with. Pokémon Master or not, I don't see how you put up with that guy."

She forced a hard, sharp grin. "That's easy, Ian. I don't."


End file.
